Tape dispenser-container



CL 24, 1961 J, Fi, MA|V |A 3,005,580

TAPE DISPENSER-CONTAINER Filed July 14, 1958 invern-QR'. JOHN 'PETERMAMA United States Patent O 3,005,580 TAPE DISPENSER-CONTAINER JohnPeter Malia, 1545 E. 60th St., Chicago, lll. Filed July 14, 1958, Ser.No. 748,490 6 Claims. (Cl. 22S- 39) This invention relates to acontainer for tape or other products commonly put up in the form ofrolls, said container having inherent in its construction a means forthe cutting o of any desired length of tape without need of separatecutting instruments, dispensers, etc.

Adhesive tapes of various types exist, and are packaged in a variety ofways. Ordinary electricians tape (friction tape) commonly is supplied inrolls, without any means of cutting or tearing the tape; this must bedone by the user with whatever implements are at hand, or by forcealone. Surgical adhesive tape also commonly is supplied without meansfor cutting or otherwise dispensing it. The same is true of many of thecellulose-acetate types of adhesive tape, and for these rolls a varietyof separately available dispensers with cutting bars may be had. Some ofthese tapes do come packaged as part of a light metal dispenser withcutting edge, in order to overcome the need for purchasing a separatedispenser while at the same time providing for ease of handling of thetape. These dispenser-packages, however, are bulkier than the containedroll of tape alone; in order to be of practical size, the roll of tapeis usually small, and the user who desires a larger roll of tape mustpurchase both the roll of tape and a separate dispenser. (To use thistype of tape without a dispenser is dilicult; the tape itself is sothin, and the adhesive so tenacious, that it is laborious to nd the freeedge and to free it up for use; a dispenser, by keeping the free edgeaway from the rest of the roll, obviates this difliculty.) These largerrolls of tape are usually supplied in metal cans which are discardedwhenthe tape is to be put into the dispenser.

In addition to adhesive tapes of various kinds, there are many otherproducts commonly supplied in rolls or spools, such as wire, twine, etc,and each of these as usually supplied, requires external means forcutting olf the desired length.

It is, accordingly, a fundamental object of thisinvention to provide acontainer for adhesive tapes of any Variety, the container beingfashioned in such a way that the user of the tape may readily convertthe container into a dispenser with a cutting edge, the container,lafter being so converted, retaining essentially its previous size andprotective capacity for the contained roll or spool of tape.

It is another object of the invention to provide a container such asdescribed above for any and all products which are commonly supplied inrolls or spools, or which may be so supplied, when these products aresusceptible of being cut by the force of a hand against a cutting edge.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious,and in part appear hereinafter.

The invention, accordingly, is embodied in a container, preferably ofmetal, consisting of two halves, each half being in the form of a tubeopen at one end vand closed at the other, so that one half may t intothe other to form a completely closed unit; the larger, outer halfhaving an area on its side which has been suitably perforated, scored,or cut so that it may be bent back to form a retaining piece with acutting edge, and the inner,

smaller, half having a corresponding area in its side which has been cutout to permit passage of the enclosed tape when the container is used asa dispenser.

s The invention may be better understood by referring to the drawings,in which:

3,005,580 Patented Oct. V24, 1961 FIGURE 1 is a front view, partially inperspective, of the top half of the container.

FIGURE 2 is a front view of the top half of the container.

FIGURE 3 is a plan view of the top half of the container.

FIGURE 4 is a perspective view of the top half of the container afterthe side piece has been bent back to form the retaining piece for thetape, with its cutting edge.

FIGURE A5 is a perspective view of the bottom half of the container. e

FIGURE 6 is aside view of the lower half of the container showing thepart cut away to allow passage of tape from an enclosed roll.

FIGURE 7 is a front view of the lower half of the container. Y

FIGURE 8 is a sectional lview, seen from below, of the lower half of thecontainer.

FIGURE 9 is a front view of both halves of the container showing theirrelationship to each other before joining together to form thecontainer.

FIGURE 10 is a front View, partially in perspective, showing theassembled container, enclosing a roll kof tape, and arranged for use asa dispenser.

FIGURE 11 shows the halves of the container in relation as in FIGURE 9,but in section to show a modificationof the container to facilitateturning of the enclosed spool of tape during use.

FIGURE 12 is a front view, partially in perspective, ofa modificationconsisting of a separate clip device having a cutting edge, which may beattached to a modified container.

FIGURE 13 is a top view, in section, of such a modied container with theclip device in place.

FIGURE 14 is a modification of the cutting edge, shown in a front viewpartially in perspective.

' FIGURE 15 is a top view in section of a container such as that shownin FIGURE 13, modified.

FIGURE 16 is a top view in section of a container such as that shown inFIGURE 15, modified.

Referring now to the drawings in detail:

FIG. 1 shows, in partial perspective, the front view of the top half ofthe container, 16, closed at the top, 10, 17 represents that part of theside, 16, which is to be folded back at `11 and 12 to form the'retainingpiece and cutting edge. This bending back of piece '17 is possiblebecause of the perforations, scorings, or actual cutting provided at13-14 and 15. Lacking a suitable single term or word which is inclusiveof vthese elective alternative'imethods of providing for the bendablefeature, the .word score, when used alone hereinafter or in the claims,is used to serve as such an inclusive term.

FIG. 2 isa front view of the same top half of the container; thereference numerals have the same significance.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view from the top, along the line indicated inFIG. 2, 'of the top half of the container; the dotted line indicatesvthe position that piece 17'would take were it bent back on 11 and 12.13 represents the free cutting edge of piece 17.

FIG, 4, a front view in partial perspective, showsv how the containertop is `used as a dispenser by bending back piece 17. Again, 14 and 15represent the edges remainircilg after bending 17, and 13 represents thefree cutting e ge I FIG.v 5, also a front View in partial perspective,is of the bottom half of the container. 20 represents the piece formingthe side, while 21 21 `are the edges left by removing a section of theside between them. 22 represents the bottom .of the part. 1 p v Y FIG. 6is a side view of the same bottom half of the container, indicating thepiece removed; the reference numerals are as before.

FIG. 7 is a front view of the same bottom half of the container;ideally, the distance between the edges, 21-21, is somewhat less thanthe distance between-11 and 14 on FIGURES 1 through 4,I so that thesmoothly cut edge 2,1 may prevent inadvertent tearing Vol the tape onthe saw-tooth edge remaining at 14 afterperforation or scoring. FIG. 7also indicates the line of section of the view shown in i FIGURE 8,which is a View from below, after sectioning the bottom half of thecontainer in a horiaontal plane.

FIG. 9 is a front view of the two parts indicating their relation beforefitting together to complete the closed container. The top half of thefigure is identical to FIG. 2; the lower half is identical to FIG. 7;the reference numbers have the same significance'. Y f

FIG. 10 is a somewhat larger front View, in partial perspective, of theentire container arranged to be used as a dispenser, and containing anenclosed roll of tape.

410 is the top of the upper half of the container, and

16 the side; piece 17 has been bent back at A11 and Y1,2, with 13therefore free as the cutting Yedge for-the tape. 14jis the edgeVexposed by bending back piece 17; edge 21 of the lower half of the unitis hidden just behind 14, and serves to keep the tape away from therough edge of 14. The other edge l21 is hidden behind 11,.

15 is the top edge exposed by bending back piece 17. The lower half ofthe container is covered and hidden by the upper half, except where thebottom of the lower half, 2,2, may be seen. 30 represents the roll ofcontained tape, with a free lengtln'l, having lbeen lifted oi 17preparatory to pulling out and cutting oi a new length of tape.' Whenthis has been done, Vcutting the tape oli on edge 13, the remainingexposed piece of tape will adhere to that part of piece 17 lying betweenledge 13 Aand-bend 12, rendering it easily 4accessible for further use.It will be notedA that, although edge 13 has been shownas a Astraightedge, it may in facthave serrations or other means of improving itscutting'actionjin fact, one contemplated means of manufacture wouldperforate the part 16 at 13-14 so that bending back piece 17 would leaveedge 13 serrated. It should further be noted that it is not contemplatedthat the length of 17, nor the angles of bend atV 11 and 1 2, need beexactly as shown, nor is it inherent in the nature-ot the design of thecontainer as a whole that it be round, as shown, but it may be of anyshape suitable to the enclosed roll, spool, reel, etc. s Also, thedistances between 11 and 14, on the top half of the container, andbet-Ween V21-211, on the bottom half of the container are arbitrary asshown, and may be modified as required by the type of `material to becontained. Y. i

FIG. 1l is a modication, shown in vertical section from the front, ofthe two parts of the container, where,

in the process of manufacture, a circular projection, 40,

has been stamped or formed -in the top and bottom pieces, 10 and 22,respectively. The diameter of these inward projections, 40, is such asto fit loosely linto the `hollow part of the tube, reel, or spool whichcontains the tape or other product, permitting easy turning of the roll[as tapeV is withdrawn Vfrom the container, yet preventing dislodging ofthe central axis ofthe Vcontainedroll from the central axis'of thecontainer as the end of ,the Vtape is pulled. A

FIG. l2 is another modication, also shownas afront view, but in partialperspective, which lis a Vseparate piece 51 formed as piece 17 above,but with a Aclip'arrangement, S0, by means of which it may be attachedto a container the `two :halves of which are formed as is the lowerhalf, -22, .of the described above, that Yis with a cut-out section ineach half. This modication is perhaps more clearly seen 'in FIG. '13,which is a view, msection analagous-to FIG.A

V8, `showing that both halvesof the cpntainer are `here made alike,except that the diameter of the outer half is sufliciently larger thanthat of the inner, lower half as to permit the same tting togetherdescribed above. 50 represents the clip arrangement by means of whichthe part, 51, is attached to the edges of the fitted-together container,represented by 16 and 20.

FIG. 14 is a modication of the cutting edge of piece 17 or 51,adapting-it, by means of edge 60 Vand circular cut-out 61, to use forycutting and retaining such products as twine, light wire, etc. Thematerial may be cut by pulling it down over edge 60, and the remainingend may be retained for future use by pushing lightly in to the hole,61,. 61 may also serve as a Wire stripper, or may itself be used as thecutting edge. Y i

FIGURE l5 is a modification of the container shown in FIGURE 13, butequally applicable to other embodiments of the invention, wherein 16a isthe outer member of the container, having portion 7) flattened, in orderto provide a stable surface for resting the container upon a table orother surface. 24hr is analogous Vto 20' in FIG. 13.

FIGURE 16 shows a modiiication of the feature shown in FIGURE l5,wherein 20hV is also lilattened throughout a portion 7 of its Wall.

Although the invention has been described with referenrce to only alimited number of embodiments, it is to be understood that variationsthereof may be adopted Without departing from its spirit or scope. Forexample, the top half of the container may be the smaller one, and fitinto the larger lower half; in this case, bending back piece 17 wouldserve to lfurther hold the two halves together. In another variation,the parts could be made of fa materialother than metal, such as a lightplastic; transparent plastic would have the virtue of revealing at aglance when the remaining supply of enclosed tape was running low. Inthis latter variation, piece 17, Ythe part to `be bent to form theretaining piece and cutting edge, could be a metal insert, introduced atthe time of manufacture, or the modification described above in FIGURESl2 and 13 could be used, with the clip portion, Sil-51, of

metal. Y

These, and other possible variations and modifications, are numerous,and for that reason have not been illustrated inthe drawings. Again, itis to be understood that these or other variations of the invention maybe adopted without departing from its spirit or scope.

What is claimed is:

l. A dispensing container for rolled materials, consistfing o f: twocooperating inner and outer telescoping conopening substantiallyregisterable with the opening in said iirst container member for passageof material therethrough; and a unitary member having an integral cuttersuitable for cutting said material lattached at at least one `side ofthe opening of at least one of said container ymembers.

2. A Vdispensing container for rolled materials, consisting of: Vtwocooperating inner and outer telescoping container members forming acasing of suitable shape to enclose a roll of material; each of saidcontainer members comprising at least a closed end wall and a peripheralwall attached at right angles thereto; one of said container membershaving at least a portion of its peripheral wall open for the passage ofmaterial therethrough when a roll of material is contained within saiddispensing container; the other of said container members being scoredon its peripheral Wall and along a portion of an edge of its peripheralwall, whereby the scored portions of the peripheral wall may be bentoutwardly to Yform an opening substantially registerable with theopening in said rst container member for the passage of materialtherethrough; and the scored portion when bent outwardly forming aholding means for said material with a cutting edge for said material atthe outer extremity thereof.

3. A dispensing container for rolled materials, consisting of: twocooperating inner and outer telescoping container members forming acasing of suitable shape to enclose a roll of material; each of saidcontainer members comprising at least a closed end Wall and a peripheralWall attached at right angles thereto; one of said container membershaving at least a portion of its peripheral wall open for the passage ofmaterial therethrough when a roll of material is contained Within saiddispensing container; the other of said container members having anopening substantially registerable with the opening in said firstcontainer member; and a clip having a cutting edge thereon separablysecured over a pair of the adjacent edges of the peripheral openings inthe peripheral walls of said inner and outer container members.

4. A dispensing container in accordance with claim 1, said cutter memberhaving an angled and notched cutting edge.

5. A dispensing container in accordance With claim 1, said end Walls ofsaid container members having shallow inward projections, said inwardprojections being of such depth and shape as to engage the hollowcentral portion of a roll of material when a roll of material iscontained with said dispensing container, and to permit of rotation ofsaid roll.

6. A dispensing container in accordance with claim 1, in which at leasta portion of the peripheral wall of at least one of said containermembers is at.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSI'903,650 Wolf NOV. 10, 1908 1,837,180 Bennett Dec. 15, 1931 2,710,152Jones June 7, 1955

